Sermon 154A

SERMON 154/A

TREATISE OF SAINT AUGUSTINE ON WHAT THE APOSTLE SAID (ROM 7:15):
"FOR I DO NOT DO WHAT I WANT, BUT I DO WHAT I HATE"

What is being done in a man.

The Apostle Paul, when he was read, we heard what happens in a man; and each one considering himself found that what the Apostle said is true. For he said that he does not do what he wants, but what he hates, this he does. And he said: If I do what I do not want, I agree with the law that it is good; because what I do not want, the law does not want either; what the law forbids me to do, this I do not want to do: but what I do not want, this... there is in me something else that fights against my will. And he said: For I delight in the law of God according to the inner man: but I see another law warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive in the law of sin, which is in my members. See what happens in a man. But look at what he said in the following: Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In man, there is strife.

Let each individual pay attention to himself: because in his Epistle, Paul has put a mirror, where every person may see himself. What the law commands delights our mind; and what the law prohibits delights our flesh; and our mind and our flesh contend; the mind contends for the law, the flesh against the law; and one person walks with the strife that is happening within him. In one person, there is strife: the tongue is silent, and inside there is tumult. I present to you, where you may better see it. A man sees another’s wife, and he desires her. He considers the law, which says: Do not commit fornication; and what does the person’s mind say internally? The law has spoken well, the law has said something great, it loves chastity; and the flesh delights in iniquity. There has been a strife in the person. Let two overcome one; let the law and the mind overcome the contradicting flesh. But see what the mind itself has said: I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive in the law of sin, which is in my members. Therefore, the mind is conquered by the flesh. Let him call upon the help of the Savior, and he will escape the snare of the deceiver. For see what the Apostle said. What kind of person was the Apostle, how great and strong an athlete of God! Yet he would be led captive, if the crucified one did not come to his aid. Therefore, when he was in danger, what did he say? Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from the body of this death, so that I may not commit iniquity, which delights my flesh? The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Christ watches you fighting, He can help you in danger.

Christ watches you, therefore, battling. Your conscience is the theater where two contend, the mind and the flesh. The mind consents to the law, the flesh contradicts the law; and wishes to curb the flesh. A great struggle: but He who watches you battling can help you in danger. For if you were wrestling with some human, he would strike you, and you would strike him; and a man would watch you to see who would win. Whoever was to win would receive a prize. This a man had to say to you: Whoever of you wins, will receive this. He was ready to crown the victor; but could he aid the struggler? Now, however, it is Christ who watches you; call out to Him, when you struggle, so that you might win; because your flesh, by its own misfortune, contends to win. For if two men were to wrestle, and engage in a pancratium, whoever of you won would be crowned. But in this struggle, if the mind wins, it liberates both soul and flesh; if the flesh wins, both are thrown into hell. Therefore, the flesh contends to its own misfortune, and wishes to win to its own misfortune. It is granted to the flesh to be conquered, so that it is not punished in eternal fire.

We shall have won if we do not consent to the evil desires of our flesh.

The Psalm which we have sung, as we have said, therefore agrees: Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice. This is the depth where the flesh contends against the mind. For if the mind conquers, both are lifted up from that depth; the flesh is lifted up there, too, having been conquered, because it is conquered for its own good. Just as in a house when a wicked wife contends with a good husband, it is to her harm that she wins, and to her benefit that she is defeated. For if the wicked wife conquers, the house becomes perverse, when a bearded man serves a wicked woman. But if the wicked wife is conquered, she begins to serve the good husband; the woman herself becomes good, because she serves a good husband. Thus, it is with our flesh, like a wicked wife conquered, because she is conquered for her own good. So that he may be called to help, the one who unites the two and crowns both, therefore we cry out from this depth to our Lord, as we have said in the Psalm. For if we conquer, and do not consent to the evil desires of our flesh, afterwards the flesh will rise again; and there you will not find evil desires with which to contend. Now, indeed, you find evil desires, against which you must fight: and it is said to you: Conquer, and you will be crowned. And what is conquering for you now? Not consenting to evil desires. For can you not have those evil desires? But conquering is... consenting to not give in. But when we receive the flesh on the day of resurrection, this flesh itself is transformed, it becomes immortal; and then you will not find a desire with which you must wrestle... in which you might be crowned. And once you are above with your flesh, do you cry out from the depth where you were struggling against your flesh?

The Canaanite woman, by faith, obtained what she sought by crying out.

And that woman, who cried out after the Lord, how did the Canaanite cry out! Her daughter was suffering from a demon: because the flesh does not consent to the mind, she was possessed by the devil. If she cried out so much for her daughter, how much should we cry out for our flesh and soul? For you see what she obtained by crying out. At first, she was ignored; for she was a Canaanite, from an evil people who worshipped idols. But the Lord Jesus Christ was walking in Judea, from where the Patriarchs came, from where the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to Christ, came; and that nation alone worshipped the true God, not idols. Therefore, when some Canaanite woman interceded with Him, He did not want to listen to her. He ignored her because He knew what He was preserving; not to refuse the favor but so that she, by persevering, would obtain it. Therefore, His disciples said to Him: Lord, send her away already, give her an answer: you see she cries out after us and makes us weary. And He said to His disciples: I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. I was sent to the Jewish nation, where I sought the sheep that were lost. There were other sheep in other Gentiles, but Christ did not come for them; because they did not believe during Christ's presence but believed in the Gospel of Christ. Hence, He said: I was not sent except to the sheep; therefore, in His presence, He chose the Apostles. And among those sheep was Nathanael, of whom He said: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit. Among those sheep was that great crowd, which carried branches before the Lord's donkey and said: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Those sheep from the house of Israel were lost and recognized the present shepherd and believed in the present Christ. Therefore, when she was denied, she was distinguished from the Gentile sheep. When she heard what the Lord said to His disciples, she persisted in crying out and did not cease. And the Lord said to her: It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs. He made her a dog: why? Because she was from the Gentiles who worshipped idols: for dogs lick stones. It is not good to take the children's bread and give it to dogs. And she did not say: Lord, do not make me a dog, for I am not a dog; but rather she said: You speak truth, Lord, I am a dog. From where she acknowledged the insult, she obtained the favor; where iniquity was denied, humility was crowned. Indeed, Lord, you speak truth: But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table. And then the Lord: O woman, great is your faith; let it be done for you as you wish. Already a dog for a long time, now a woman, changed by barking. She desired the crumbs falling from the table: suddenly she found herself reclining at the table. For when He said to her: Great is your faith, He already counted her among those, whose bread He was unwilling to give to the dogs.

Let us persevere in praying.

All these things, what do they teach us except that when what we ask from God is good, we should persevere in praying until we receive it with longing desire? For God delays the seekers in order to exercise the desirers. But eternal life we ought to ask with great groaning, here a good life, and later eternal life; because also a good life you ought to ask from God, who aids your will. If He does not aid, you remain defeated; you begin to be led captive, if He does not help you as is said: Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore, let us securely ask for two things: in this age a good life, in the future age eternal life. We do not know if other things are useful to us. A man asks God that he may marry a wife; how does he know if it will be for his good? A man asks God that he may acquire wealth; how does he know if he slept securely as a poor man, but as a rich man he dreams of robbers? He does not know then what is useful to him from everything that this age holds. Safely, however, he asks for a good life and eternal life; here that he may merit God, there that he may be crowned by God. But what is a good life? To love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Therefore, let us love our God, let us love one another in His unity, let us have peace in Him, and among us charity; so that when our Lord Christ Himself comes... we may say: Lord, with Your help we have done what You commanded, with Your favor may we receive what You promised.